Mixer can



Jul 12, 1938. A, ALA TE 2,123,600

MIXER CAN Filed Feb. 11, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 12,1938. A. GALANTE2,123,600

' MIXER CAN 1 Filed Feb. 11,'19s7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 12,1938 UNETED STATES matte FA'EENT QFE'IQE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to cans such as are suitable for packaging,shipping and selling paint or other material of a nature that when it isallowed to stand, settling of some constituents occurs, this inventionhaving for its purpose to provide a mixing device in the can by whichmixing of the constituents before use may be readily efiected.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a mixer of eflicientconstruction.

10 Another object is to provide a structure including the mixer whichwill add little to the cost of the can, so that it may be freely usedfor its intended purpose without the additional cost due to the presenceof the mixer becoming an im- 15 portant item in the entire cost of thepackage.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may behad to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a central verticalsection through a can embodying the invention and before the annular toprim for receiving the can cover has been assembled therewith.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section through the top edge of the canshowing the top rim assembled and the cover in position to be applied.

Figure 3 is a detail section similar to a portion of Figure 1, butshowing the handle for the mixer in operative position.

Figure 4 is a section on line 44 of Figure 1.

- Figure 5 is a perspective view of the can cover.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the mixer and a bearing bracetherefor.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective View showing the cooperativesecuring portions of the 35, can and the bearing brace.

Figure 8 is a development of the mixer blade member shown in Figures 1,3, 4, and 6.

Figure 9 is a development of a modified construction of mixer blade.

Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the blade made up from the blankof Figure 9 and showing one method of securing the mixer shaft thereto.

Figure 11 is a perspective view somewhat simi- 12am to Figure 10, butshowing a further modification.

Referring first to Figure l, at is indicated a pail or can which may beformed of sheet material and provided with a bottom wall 2 and a side 50wall 3 which may be joined as by crimping, as at 4. The top edge of thewall 3 is formed with an outwardly extending flange 5. Oppositelydisposed on its outer face are a pair of bail-receiving ears 6. Thesemay be of the well known con- 55 struction, comprising dished elementshaving their inwardly flanged margins l secured to the outer face of thewall member 3, as by soldering,

or in any other suitable manner, and having perforations 8 in their endsto receive the ends of a bail B. These bail ears not only serve to re- 5ceive the bail 9, but they also serve to house and conceal sockets It(see Figures 1 and 7) which are formed by pressing the wall material Ioutwardly and within the areas covered by the bail ears. Thesedepressions I form sockets for re- 10 ceiving opposite ends of atransverse brace member 5| which extends across the can below itsflanged top 5. As shown this brace is a sheet metal stamping havingmarginal side flanges I2, end flanges l3, and corrugations I4. The cor-15 rugations l3 and the flanges |2 form longitudinal stifiening ribs, sothat relatively light and inexpensive sheet metal may be employed forthis member. Between the corrugations l4 it is shown as provided with abearing opening l5 within which may be journaled a shank l6 of a mixingdevice. This shank may be journaled at its lower end I! in a depressionIS in the can bottom 2 and this can bottom may be provided withconcentric reinforcing circular corrugations I9.

The member It carries at its lower end and in close proximity to thebottom 2 of the can, a mixing device shown best in Figure 6. Thiscomprises a sheet metal member having an intermediate portion 22 whichmay be attached by any suitable means to the shank I6 and which, asshown, is tapered in width, its narrower end being uppermost. From thisintermediate portion extend the oppositely disposed wings 2|, and areinforcing bottom plate 22 may bridge the lower ends of both the wings2| and the intermediate portion 20. The wing portions 2| may be curved,as shown best in Figure 3, so that as the mixer is turned it has atendency to cut away any material which may have settled in the can andforce it upwardly as shown by the arrows in this figure, thus to liftthe settled material and stir it into the other contents of the can,while the lighter, unsettled material may flow in beneath the lifted 5portion so that a thorough mixing action is produced when the shank H5is turned.

The base member 22, the wings 2| and the in termediate portion 2!] maybe formed up in various ways from a single sheet of material. As shownin Figures 3, 4, 6 and 8 the wings 2| are bent upwardly and backwardlyfrom opposite edge portions of the member 22 and the portion 28 isformed by overlapping edges extending from the wings 2|.

As shown in Figures 9, 10, and 11, the wings Zla extend from oppositeedges of a one piece intermediate portion 200., the base being formed inthree portions 22a, 22b and 220. The blank is folded up with the portion22b overlapping the portion 22a and an edge extension 22d from theportion 220 underlapping both, the notch at i and the openings y and 2being brought into 35 turned and crimped as shown in Figure 2 toregistry. These lapping parts are secured together by any suitable meanssuch as spot welding or the like. The shaft or shank iiia, as shown inFigure 10, may be split at its lower end to take over opposite sides ofthe section 200. and then be extended through the openings .73, y and 2,after which the parts are closed together to firmly grip the sheet metalpiece, or instead of splitting the shank the member 22a may be formedwith a laterally ofiset channel 201), as shown in Figure 11, in whichthe shank may be suitably secured as by riveting or spot welding or byany other suitable method.

The bottom member 22 and the adjacent lower edges of the wings 2| may becorrugated to substantially fit the corrugations H] of the bottom wallofthe can.

The mixer and the brace II are assembled in the can, it being an easymatter to spring out- 'Wardly the side wall I' along the diameter of thebrace ll until the brace may be sprung into position in the sockets Ill.Thereafter a top rim member 25 shaped to receive the friction cover 27shown in Figure 2 may be placed in position at the top of the can, andits outwardly extending top flange 28 and the flange 5 may be secure:the top member 25 in position. This member so stiifens the top portionof the can as' to prevent accidental distortion of the side Wall so thatthe parts are held firmly in position. The shank l6 below the brace IIis preferably provided with laterally'extending portions 38, which maybe struck out therefrom, in position to prevent the mixer from beingpulled upwardly out of journaled engagement with the can bottomafter thebrace H hasbeen assembled in the can. a Y

The cover 21, as shown in Figure 5, is preferably provided with adepression 35' for the reception of a handle or crank 36 which may beemployed to rotate the mixer after the can has been opened. A flap 38may be secured to the top face of the can coverand normally be extendedover the depression 35, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 5, to holdthe crank member 36 in place until it is desired to use it, whereuponthe free end of the strip 38 may bepried up and the crank released. Asshown in Figure 3, this crank comprises a shank 4% that the handle maybe placed in position over the top end of the member Iii with its endresting against the shank portion'dil, thus to limit the extent to whichthe crank handle may be pressed down onto the member i6. By grasping'the handle portion. 45 of this crank, the mixer l sufificiently todisengage the brace H,

may be turned to effect the desired mixing operation.

It will thus be seen that when the can has been filled and closed, themixer is entirely concealed therein, but as soon as the can has beenopened by prying off the top, and the crank has been removed from thetop, it can be assembled with the mixer and the contents of the canthoroughly, mixed in an expeditious manner. Moreover, the entireconstruction is simple and cheaply made so that it does not addmaterially to the cost of the can.

From the foregoing description of an illustrated embodiment of thisinvention, it should be evident to those skilled in the art that variouschanges and modifications may be made without departing from the spiritor scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A mixer comprising a shaft, and a sheet metal piece secured to saidshaft and comprising an intermediate portion of tapered width lyingalong said shaft, wing portions bent in opposite directions from saidintermediate portion, and a base binding the lower edges of saidintermediate and wing portions together, certain parts of said piecebeing arranged in lapping relation. 7

2. A mixer comprising a shaft, and a sheet metal piece cut and bent intopartly lapping relation to form a base, wing portions extending back andup from said base, and an intermediate portion extending from said wingportions, said intermediate portion being secured to said shaft.

3. A mixer comprising a shaft, and a sheet metal piece cut and bent toform a base, Wing portions extending back and up from said base, and anintermediate portion extending from said wing portions, said shaft beingsplit for the reception of" said intermediate portion andextendingthrough a perforation in said base.

4. A mixer comprising a shaft, and a sheet metal piece having anintermediate portion secured to said shaft, wings integral with saidintermediate portion, and base portions integral with said wings andintermediate portion and secured together in overlapping relation.

, side of said can by said ears, a reinforcing and stiifening annularmember secured to said side wall above said ears, and a brace memberextending across within said can and having its ends seated in saidsockets.

6. A can having a side wall provided with oppositely disposed externalbail-receiving ears, the material of said wall being outwardly pressedto form a pair of sockets concealed on the outside of said can by saidears, a brace member extending across within said can and having itsends seated in said sockets, a bearing at the bottom of said can, areinforcing and stiffening annular member secured to said side wallabove said ears, and a mixer having a portion journaled in said bearingand in an opening through said brace member.

ANTONIO GALANTE.

